The Birth

April 1st I had a doctor's appointment in the morning, at 10:00. I had been
walking around getting more and more dilated for three weeks or so, and
when she examined me she said I was almost at 5 cm, and 80% effaced. At the 
end of the exam I felt her probing a little more and as she was doing it she 
told me she was stripping my membranes to stir things up a little. I was 
peeved, but more or less ready for the baby so I didn't say anything (it was 
too late to stop her, anyway.)

That evening, to my dismay (well, I was ready but I did NOT want an April
Fool's baby!) I started having a few more contractions than usual, and
slightly more uncomfortable ones. I still didn't believe it was going to
happen yet, though, as I told my mother and aunt with whom I was chatting
online (they live far away from me, in respectively Montreal and Edmonton.
I'm in California). They were pretty excited, though, at the thought of my
going into labour while chatting, and told me I shouldn't eat so much when
I told them I was having second helpings of supper!

I started timing contractions around 7 pm, and never did time any closer
together than around 8 minutes. I stopped timing after a while because I
figured it wasn't yet. I did make Laurie take a picture of me, though, for
the web page on which I've been documenting the growth of my belly. I
figured even if this wasn't the last day I was pregnant, it would be close
enough. At 11 pm I got up from my computer and was walking towards the door
of the room when I felt a kind of sproing and a little gush, and realized
that my water had broken. With the realization came a contraction stronger
and more painful than any I'd had to that point, so I leaned against the
door frame and sent Elisabeth, who was with me, to tell Laurie that I needed 
him. He rushed in and I told him it was time! 

Of course I wasn't quite finished packing my bag for the hospital, and we
had to get my daughter's things together and call our friend Stuart who 
was going to look after her, and call the hospital, and a few other 
things. I hadn't expected to be in so much pain so suddenly, but once 
the contractions started in earnest, I wasn't much help to Laurie in 
getting things ready. Couldn't do much beyond try to breathe and focus through 
the contractions, and in between get myself changed out of my wet clothes 
and into the car. 

Once we were all in the car we started off, and the pain just kept getting
worse. During contractions I didn't know what to do, it was so bad, but
focusing on lights seemed to help. Laurie tried to drive gently but quickly -
the doctor had warned us that morning to get to the hospital as soon as
possible after things got started, as she didn't expect me to be in labour
for long. My first labour was only 5 hours, and with this one I already had
a pretty good head start. 

We arrived at the hospital, at the wrong door as it turned out, and so had
to drive to the emergency entrance instead, then got redirected one last
time to the ambulance entrance so that I could get straight into a wheel
chair. That was a challenge, as I didn't have much break between
contractions at this point. Laurie went to park and unload the car while 
I was being wheeled down a very, very long way to the maternity wing, 
over lots of little bumps. The nurse wheeling me kept asking questions, 
to which I couldn't very often respond, as I was in too much pain.

We got to the room, and they were still making up the bed, as I guess they
only do that once you're admitted, and I hadn't paused long for admission. 
Thank goodness for preregistration! Even so, they had to ask me some questions
between contractions, though the nurse (an older, experienced type whom I
liked very much) didn't ask me to sign anything, just to say yes I would
sign later. I was desperate to get into the bed so I could lean back on
something, and trying hard not to panic. The nurse helped a lot, making me
keep my eyes open and focus on her eyes, and breathe with her. 

Laurie was still not really there, going in and out bringing bags and stuff, 
and handing Elisabeth over to Stuart who arrived to meet us at the hospital. 
I guess it was around 11:30 when we arrived at the hospital, and 11:40 by the 
time I was ensconced in the bed. They put the monitors on me and did a cervical
check, and told me I was at 8 cm! The band around my belly for the fetal
heart monitor REALLY hurt, and I said so, so they loosened it a little. My
feeling was that at this point, things were going to happen so fast that it
wasn't really necessary, but I wasn't really in shape to argue. Oh yeah,
turns out my mother was right - I shouldn't have had that second helping!
Shortly after I changed into a hospital gown, I threw up everything I'd
eaten. I warned them in time to get one of those bowls in place, but it
just wasn't enough and I had to spend the rest of the delivery smelly. Oh 
well.

Doctor arrived soon after this, well maybe around midnight, and started
getting sterile. I was just thankful I'd made it past April 1st! Soon after
she arrived, I had an absolutely overwhelming urge to push, and screamed at
her that I had to push NOW! She said okay, go ahead, to my relief, though I
don't think there was anything else I could have done anyway. My entire
body was pushing, with or without my consent. We got my knees up and my
chin down, and I pushed for all I was worth. That contraction lasted
forever, and I got about five pushes in, and the doctor did a small
episiotomy which tore a lot. Then after the contraction, she said it would
be easier on my perineum if I pushed between contractions, so I started
pushing again. The baby's head started to come out, and after another two
or three pushes, the head was out! Then a few more pushes for the
shoulders, which caused a surprisingly sharp pain and made me scream, and
then there she was - another girl! I was very surprised, as I had been sure
this one would be a boy. But then, I thought my first would be a boy, too!

Ilana Augusta Nyveen was born at 12:22 am April 2nd, and weighed 8lb 15oz,
and was 20 inches long. A big girl! She nursed well almost immediately, and
was and is absolutely beautiful. Lots of dark hair, much darker than my
first baby's, and very strong neck - she was holding her head up almost
right away. 

Well, that's the story - hope it's not too long and boring!